Way to Market for Destination Arctic Circle

Sharpening Greenland’s Arctic offer – from local heroes to global reasons to go.

Research & Analysis
Stakeholder Engagement
Strategy Development

Way to Market for Destination Arctic Circle

Sharpening Greenland’s Arctic offer – from local heroes to global reasons to go.

BIG SHIFT STRATEGIES
Research & Analysis
Stakeholder Engagement
Strategy Development
Strategy for the World's Wildest Destination

Greenland is opening up... but increased access matters only if the right experiences are easy to find, trust, and book. That’s where Destination Arctic Circle (DAC) asked Group NAO to help. With adventure travel on the rise, Arctic Circle Business commissioned Group NAO to craft a strategic marketing plan that could guide the Destination Arctic Circle (DAC) region through the coming years of change. Developed in close collaboration with local operators and international partners, Way to Market builds on months of research, dialogue, and analysis. The ambition of the strategy is to double overnight stays by 2030, establish a region-wide digital booking platform, and secure DAC’s position in high-value markets, particularly in North America, following the opening of new air routes to Greenland.

Way of Market outlines how DAC can stand out in a competitive global travel landscape, even with lean resources, by focusing on the experiences that set it apart. These are captured through the HANA model, which structures the region’s offer around Hero, Anchor, Niche, and Adventure+ products, anchored by standout experiences like the Arctic Circle Trail, Eternity Fjord, and ice sheet excursions. The plan provides concrete direction across marketing, partnerships, and digitalisation, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, bookability, and community benefit. Designed to be both practical and place-specific, Way to Market equips DAC with the tools and vision to grow as Greenland’s adventure capital.

Visit project website

Thank you for your interest.
Download now
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
What We Did
  • Group NAO worked with DAC's stakeholders to crystallise the product with bottom-up interviews and an outside-in scan of global distributors.
  • We translated DAC’s offer into a targeted funnel that starts with Heroes, supports with Anchors, and monetises with Niche and in-destination Adventure+.
  • Focusing on quality over quantity, we helped set a B2B-first path via Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and select Nordic platforms, coordinated with Visit Greenland, as well as niche shows for hunting and fishing.
  • To get operational and achieve "a lot with little," we helped set an action calendar aligning fam-trips, trade events, and always-on content for hunting and fishing.
  • Planning for bookability, we helped scope a destination platform to integrate local suppliers and push live inventory to global distribution, evaluating Nordic solutions like Visit Group/GoToHub, with operator workshops and a phased rollout.

Clients & Partners

By Group NAO for Arctic Circle Business / Destination Arctic Circle (DAC).

(2024)